start a foundation.
” That was the birth of “They were at City Hall trying to learn
the Kyle Plush Answer the Call (KPATC)
Foundation, whose mission statement
declares, “Kyle would have focused on
solutions to improve the 911 system. He
would not have made excuses or found
barriers as to why things couldn’t be done.”
The foundation is dedicated to
supporting 911 workers in any way possible,
from delivering gourmet cookies to
presenting awards, called Challenge Coins,
to dispatchers who exhibit dedication and
creative thinking. They also make frequent
presentations to dispatch centers across
the country. “There isn’t a dry eye in the
audience,” says Knapp, who has frequently
brought in the couple to present at his
Hamilton County dispatch centers.
The cookie deliveries, accompanied
by notes of encouragement, are a game-
changer for these unseen first responders.
“We couldn’t believe the response,” says
Strader. “There were hugs and tears.”
“Jill and Ron quickly realized that no
one tells [dispatchers] Thank you,” Knapp
says.“They saw that deficiency and stepped
up to make a real difference in the industry.”
AFTER KYLE’S DEATH, JILL AND RON
faithfully attended Cincinnati public law
and safety meetings, trusting that the city
would keep its promise to initiate timely
reforms. They were bitterly disappointed
in November 2018 when the Cincinnati
Police Department’s internal investigation
concluded the officers and emergency call-
takers had followed protocol. “The message
seemed to be, We didn’t do anything wrong,
and nothing is going to change,” Ron says.
Initially reluctant to file a lawsuit,
the couple felt they had no choice if they
wanted to find out what happened to their
son and to spur the city to fix the systemic
problems that contributed to his death.
Acting on the advice of a friend, they hired
renowned Cincinnati civil rights attorney
Al Gerhardstein, best known nationally
for representing James Obergefell in the
Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage
decision, Obergefell v. Hodges.
It was a good fit. The couple shared
their lawyer’s primary focus on reform
rather than financial compensation. “They
wanted change, because that was the best
way to honor their son,” says Gerhardstein.
explained to the California group. “When
the details of how things failed and were
getting lots of responses, lots of words, but
not seeing lots of action.”
On August 12, 2019, Gerhardstein filed
a wrongful death lawsuit against the city
of Cincinnati, ultimately resulting in a $6
million settlement with the Plush family in
2021. Far more meaningful to Kyle’s parents
was the establishment of a team of 911 ex-
perts from around the country to monitor
and enhance the Emergency Communica-
tions Center. The expert team reports to
the public every six months, monitoring
such issues as training, quality assurance,
up-to-date technology, and adherence to
protocol. “The only part of the settlement
that was important to us was the reforms to
the Cincinnati ECC to help them become a
world-class 911 center to ensure a tragedy
like Kyle’s never happens again,” Jill says.
Vedra, ECC’s new director, says that
countless improvements have been made
since Kyle’s death, many of them taking
place before announcement of the settle-
ment. “The team of experts are making
sure that the momentum isn’t lost and that
there is transparency in the improvements
that are taking place,” he says.
Vedra says the city has invested heavily
in hiring more call takers and dispatchers as
well as full-time quality assurance person-
nel. The back-up call center, where Kyle’s
calls were answered, has been renovated
and updated with state-of-the-art equip-
ment. “The technology was not where it
needed to be and the acoustics were poor,
creating a challenging environment for 911
workers and making it difficult to under-
stand their caller,” he says.
In city after city, at dispatch call center
after call center, Ron and Jill Plush are
reliving the worst day of their lives as they
share Kyle’s story with 911 workers. During
a recent virtual session with dispatchers
in Santa Ana, California, Ron began by
stating, “First we want to share that we
are here to learn, not to criticize. Let’s not
focus on what went wrong. Let’s focus on
what should have gone right.”
Their optimistic, forward-looking
approach is very much in keeping with
the way their son lived his life. “Kyle was
a true leader in his group of friends, and
he was always full of energy and ideas,” Jill
J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M 9 9
we think of Kyle, we think of the Latin
phrase carpe diem, which means seize the
day. This is the way Kyle lived his life. He
lived to the fullest every day with a huge
smile on his face while always being his best
self. We believe if even one person involved
in Kyle’s call had been their best self, he
would still be with us today.”
If a 911 call seems strange or a voice
sounds remote, Jill cautioned the group,
never assume it’s a prank. “Be persistent
and determined to find out why. With new
technology and creative callers, it might be
the victim’s only way to ask for help.”
After their presentations, Jill says,
dispatchers often tell her and Ron, I have
been doing this my whole life, and now I will
look at it completely differently. Recently
a dispatcher in Alaska wrote about the
significance of being awarded a Challenge
Coin: “More and more I found myself
keeping the coin next to me at my dispatch
station to remind me to do the best I can
on every call, even on my grumpiest days.”
That’s the kind of message that inspires
the Plushes to crisscross the country shar-
ing Kyle’s story, even though both work
full-time jobs. Kyle’s friends, too, remain
committed to the cause. In spite of his hectic
schedule as a Purdue University engineering
student, Gupta has remained active with the
KPATC Foundation, working with a group of
friends to craft a series of videos about using
a cell phone during emergencies. The videos
have received wide circulation—first among
the Seven Hills student body, and then an
updated version that’s being shared every-
where from driving schools to Cincinnati
Reds games. “I wanted to keep the spirit of
Kyle with me, his resourcefulness, excite-
ment, and love of learning that we shared,”
Gupta says. “I try to live my life taking les-
sons from the kind of person that he was.”
At every milestone, including his 21st
birthday, Gupta says he asks himself, What
would Kyle be doing now? “He would have
excelled at anything,” he says.
The Plush family finds comfort in
knowing that Kyle’s life and death are mak-
ing a difference. “God blessed us with Kyle
for 16 years,” says Jill. “As sad as we are that
we don’t have him here with us, we know
that God decided he had a different plan for
him. Kyle is saving lives.”